Monthly Archives: April 2022

Lyme Land Trust Presents Free Talk on Old Growth Forest Network, Tomorrow; All Welcome, Registration Required

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The Johnston Preserve in Lyme was designated a future ‘Old Growth Forest’ in 2021.

LYME — On Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m., the Lyme Land Trust hosts a presentation about the Old Growth Forest Network with Professor Joan Maloof at Lyme Public Hall.

Professor Maloof, who is Professor Emeritus at Salisbury University, founded the Old Growth Forest Network in order to preserve, protect and promote the country’s few remaining stands of old-growth forests.

This program is of particular importance to regional residents as the Town of Lyme now plays an important role in the United States’ biospheric health as a holder of one of three such designated forests in the state of Connecticut. Lyme’s Johnston Preserve was designated a future Old Growth Forest in 2021.

Joan Maloof is the author of Treepedia: A Brief Compendium of Arboreal Lore, The Living Forest: A Visual Journey into the Heart of the Woods, Nature’s Temples: The Complex World of Old-Growth Forests, and Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest and other publications.

Books will not be available for purchase at the talk, but if attendees bring your pre-purchased book(s), Joan Maloof will sign the book(s) after the talk. All books are available from the usual outlets, such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble or by ordering from your local bookstore.

To register for this event, email Education@lymelandtrust.org with subject: “Old Growth Forest.”

This program is made possible be a generous co-sponsoring project between estuary magazine, the Friends of the Lyme Public Library, and the Lyme Land Trust in collaboration with the Town of Lyme.

Lyme-Old Lyme HS Sports Roundup: Both Tennis Teams Trounce Old Saybrook 7-0, Baseball ‘Cats Crush Westbrook 11-1

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The Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls’ tennis team pulled off a powerful 7-0 win over Old Saybrook on Friday. Photo by A. Fenton.

LYME/OLD LYME — On Friday, April 8, the Old Lyme girls’ and boys’ tennis teams along with the baseball team all achieved stunning victories over their respective opponents.

Girls’ Tennis:
Old Lyme Crushes Old Saybrook 7-0

1st Singles:
Abigail Sicuranza vs Elizabeth Pamment 6-0, 6-0

2nd Singles:
Sam Tan vs Claire Boucher 6-0, 6-0

3rd Singles:
Callie Bass vs Gabby Z. 6-0, 6-0

4th Singles:
Olivia Schaedler vs Tsering Choedar 6-0, 6-0

1st Doubles:
Livie Bass / Alexis Fenton
Hanna Bjorkman/Lhamo Tsering 6-0, 6-0

2nd Doubles:
Aggie Hunt/ Beatrice Hunt
Morgan Bubello/Abigail Clifford 6-0, 6-0

3rd Doubles:
Fiona Hufford/ Izzy Reynolds
Tenzin Choedar/Caroline Ancona 6-0 6-0

The Lyme-Old Lyme High School boys’ tennis team trounced Old Saybrook 7-0 on Friday. Photo by A. Fenton.

Boys’ Tennis:
Old Lyme Soundly Defeats Old Saybrook 7-0

Singles:
1. Charles Hinckley vs. Logan Medbury: 6-0, 6-0
2. Griffin McGlinchey vs. Daniel Steindl: 6-0, 6-1
3. Will Danes vs. Victor Fuda: 6-0, 6-0
4. Nikolai Stephens-Zumbaum vs. Joe Maselli: 6-1, 6-2

Doubles:
1. Micah Bass and Aidan Kerrigan vs. Mike Kapij and Zach Nichols: 6-2, 6-2
2. Mike Klier and Andy Sicuranza: Forfeit Win
3. Jed Arico and Nevin Joshy: Forfeit Win

Baseball:
‘Cats Crush Westbrook 11-1

  • Lyme-Old Lyme Wildcats got on the board first in the first inning, when Jaden Reyes (3-4; 2 RBI) singled scoring one run.
  • Lyme-Old Lyme Wildcats scored five runs in the fifth inning.  Riley Warecke (2-4; 1 RBI), Reyes, and Alex Roth (3-4; 2 RBI) all contributed that inning with some RBIs.
  • Warecke pitched Lyme-Old Lyme Wildcats to victory. Warecke went five innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out nine.
  • The Wildcats had 19 team hits. Roth, Grady Lacourciere (3-4), Reyes, Jimmy Creagan (2-4; 1 RBI), Casey Hurtgen (2-3; 1 RBI), Warecke, and Maverick Swaney (2-2; 1 RBI) all had multiple hits for Lyme-Old Lyme Wildcats.

State Rep. Carney Announces Re-Election Bid for 23rd District That Includes Lyme, Old Lyme

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Incumbent State Rep. Devin Carney (R) has announced he is seeking a fifth term in the 23rd District, which includes both Lyme and Old Lyme. Photo submitted.

LYME/OLD LYME — State Representative Devin Carney (R-23rd) has announced that he is running for re-election as State Representative for the 23rd District, which includes Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook. This is his fourth re-election bid, and if elected, it will be his fifth consecutive term in office.

Rep. Carney was first elected in 2014 and currently serves as Ranking Member of the Transportation Committee and  Ranking Member of the Transportation Bonding Subcommittee. He is also a member of the Education Committee, Finance, Revenue, & Bonding Committee, and the House Republican Screening Committee.

In addition, he serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Future Caucus and Clean Energy Caucus and is an Assistant Republican Leader.

During his tenure, Rep. Carney has maintained a strong attendance record at the Capitol and has continued to be active in community events in all four towns of the 23rd District.

Rep. Carney has been commended for his accessibility, bipartisanship, and work ethic during his tenure as State Representative. In late 2021, he was one of only two legislators, nationally, to receive the Millennial Action Project’s Rising Star Award for his work trying to bridge political gaps and for his advocacy on issues important to younger generations.

“I’ve always worked hard to put the people of the 23rd District first – above special interests and party interests,” said Carney.

He continued, “To me, this is my responsibility as Representative. I am always honored to go to Hartford to be the voice of Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook; and I take that job extremely seriously, especially at a time of uncertainty and concern in government.” 

Rep. Carney’s committee assignments have put him at the center of many important policy debates at the Capitol.

On the Transportation Committee, he has been integral in working to reduce the Connecticut gas tax, improve state bridges and roads, and to improve operations at the DMV.

On the Education Committee, Rep. Carney has fought forced regionalization and worked to ensure communities have local control over educational decisions. 

“Our local public schools are a source of pride for our communities and the state should not be able to dictate what we teach or how we teach it,” said Carney. “As long as I am State Representative, I will fight government overreach, forced regionalization, or any measures that will weaken the quality of our local schools.”

Serving on the Finance, Revenue, & Bonding Committee, Rep. Carney has focused on growing our local economy and jobs, boosting business development, and stopping higher taxes.

“The COVID pandemic created so many issues for our local and state businesses and now it’s the time for the state to take a step back and allow them to grow,” Carney said.

He added, “We have to get people back to work and encouraged to train for jobs that are in-demand. In addition, Connecticut continues to remain unaffordable for many, and I will always oppose higher taxes on our seniors, families, and businesses. As Connecticut continues to come out of the fog of the pandemic, it is essential that government works to give people a break and not to expand its size and scope even further.”

In addition to his legislative work, Rep. Carney works locally in finance and volunteers for many local organizations. He serves on the board of trustees of the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, and as board treasurer of Old Saybrook Senior Housing. 

He is a member of both the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club of Old Saybrook, which serves all four towns of the 23rd District.

He is a lector at Grace Church in Old Saybrook and a member of the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee.

He was also recently named as a board member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators on the basis of his  environmental record.

He currently lives in Old Lyme but grew up in Old Saybrook, where he graduated from Old Saybrook Public Schools.

Rep. Carney has already qualified for Connecticut’s Citizen Election Program grant by collecting over 175 contributions and nearly $10,000. 

He commented, “I was thrilled to reach my fundraising goals quickly this campaign and am incredibly grateful to all of those who continue to have faith in me. As this session moves along, I will continue to be available to listen and to bring the people’s voice to Hartford.”

Rep. Carney concluded, “I look forward to visiting many constituents during my campaign to hear their needs and address their concerns. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the people of the 23rd District.” 

Editor’s Notes: i) For further information on Rep. Carney’s campaign, visit facebook.com/devincarney2022.
ii) This article is based on a press release issued by Rep. Carney.

April 6 & 7 COVID-19 Update: More Towns in Red Case Rate Zone, CT Positivity Rate Continues to Rise, Two New Cases Over Two Days in Lyme, Old Lyme Take Cumulative Totals to 262, 1061

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This map, updated April 7, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Old Lyme remains in the Orange (second highest) Zone while Lyme stays in the Gray (lowest) Zone. Twenty five towns (representing a total of 14.7% of the state) are now found in the Red Zone. Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities. Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Reports issued Wednesday and Thursday, April 6 and 7, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) again show one new confirmed COVID-19 case each day in Old Lyme, and none in Lyme on Wednesday, but two on Thursday. This raises Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1061 and Lyme’s to 262.

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate continues to rise steadily. On Wednesday, April 6, the rate increased to 4.77% from 4.6% on April 5, and on Thursday, April 7, it rose again to 4.88%

This rate of 4.88% is the state’s highest recorded COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate since Feb. 11, 2022 when the Rate stood at 4.94%.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Friday, April 8, around 4 p.m.

Cases in Lyme and Old Lyme — Daily Update

April 5 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either town.

Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported in Lyme on March 25.

Prior to April 5, the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 24. There were also no new cases on March 9 and 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The number of COVID-related hospitalizations continues to increase. On April 6, the number rose to 117 from 106 on April 5, and on April 7, the number increased again to 127.

In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on April 6, the number not fully vaccinated was 47 (representing 40.17%). The number for April 7 was also 47, but this time it represented 37.01% of those hospitalized.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut now stands at 10,795, according to the New York Times.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

On Thursday, April 7, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 25 municipalities are now in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. The 25 towns are: Ashford, Chester, Clinton, Darien, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Guilford, Madison, Middlebury, Milford, New Canaan, New Haven, New London, North Haven, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, South Windsor, Southbury, Westbrook, Weston, Westport, Wilton, and Woodbridge.

It is a point of concern that this number has increased by five from 20 since last week.

Although this total of Red Zone towns reflects an increase over last week’s number, it still shows a reduction in the number of Red Zone towns since  Jan. 27, when the total was 168 out of 169 towns.

The March 31 total of 20 is equivalent to 14.7% of towns in the state, which remain in the Red Zone.

By way of contrast, the map below shows the COVID-19 Case Rate Map from just over one year ago.

This map, updated March 25, 2021 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. The Town of Old Lyme had moved up into the (highest) Red Zone, while Lyme remained in the (lowest) Gray Zone. (Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities.)

As of April 7, 2022 the only town in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) in the Red Zone is New London. Three, including Old Lyme, remain in the Orange (second highest) Zone:- the other two are East Lyme and Waterford.

Three are in the Yellow (second lowest) Zone, namely Groton, Ledyard and Stonington, while Lyme and North Stonington remain in the Gray (lowest) Zone.

The LLHD is no longer issuing reports with updated Case Rates and other metrics.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, April 14 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The color-coded zones are:

Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 618 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443 — that number had stood unchanged for a week since the previous Thursday, Nov. 4.

On Aug. 26 — which was the day Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year — Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have now been 689 new cases there since that date. Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 148 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Ledge Light Health District Update
New London is the only town in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD), of which both Lyme and Old Lyme are members, in the Red (highest case rate) Zone.

The LLHD has announced that there will be no further weekly LLHD reports unless there are “any significant change in case rates, hospitalizations, etc.” The following details are therefore from the final LLHD update on March 24.

In an email sent Thursday, March 24, regarding the latest COVID-19 data, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield states, “Based on surveillance data available in a new tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called COVID-19 Community Levels, the municipalities within Ledge Light Health District (and all of New London County) are currently classified as low, the “best” classification available based on these new metrics.”

He continues, “Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.”

He adds, “In New London County, residents are advised to:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
  • Get tested if you have symptoms

View the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html.

LLHD continues to focus our vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously. Information about vaccination opportunities can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/.”

An explanation of the new tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.

COVID testing opportunities can be found at COVID-19 Testing | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org)

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There has been one COVID-related fatality of a Lyme resident: a 57-year-old male passed away Nov. 16, 2021. On Nov. 30, the state finally included this fatality in its data

Four COVID-related fatalities have now been reported in Old Lyme. The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

Details of the third and fourth fatalities, which were reported respectively in 2021 and on Feb. 4, 2022, have not been made available.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Update

Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing.

LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained the latest developments in LOL Schools COVID protocols in an April 1 email to the school community, saying, “As noted in my email of February 17, 2022, beginning April 1, 2022 we will no longer report daily COVID-19 cases in the schools.  For the remainder of this school year, that information will be complied on a weekly basis and will be available on our website at the following link: https://www.region18.org/parents/covid-data.”

He added, “In light of the significant reduction in cases since our return from February vacation, we have slowly discontinued most COVID-19 mitigation strategies excluding required quarantine/isolation for those that test positive and enhanced building ventilation.  We are in the process of removing all remaining plastic shields from schools, students and staff no longer need to practice physical distancing, and large group gatherings are not limited in number.  Mask use still remains optional and handwashing will continue to be encouraged.”

A full listing of all LOL Schools-related cases during 2022 is given below.

View the full listing of cases between 8/26/21 – 12/23/21 at this link.

The listing below is the latest information that we have with the most recent cases first — there may have been further updates, however, which we have not yet received.

The following abbreviations are used in the lists below: LOLHS: Lyme-Old Lyme High School, LOLMS: Lyme-Old Lyme
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, MC: Mile Creek School, and CS: Center School Pre-Kindergarten

MARCH 2022
Wednesday, March 30 Total: LOLHS: 2, Lyme: 1
Monday, March 28Total: LOLHS: 2
Thursday, March 24Total: LOLMS: 1
Wednesday, March 23Total: LOLHS: 1, CS: 1
Tuesday, March 22 Total: Lyme: 1
Sunday, March 20Total: LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, March 16Total: LOLHS: 1
Monday, March 14 Total: CS: 1
Sunday, March 13Total: LOLHS: 1
Thursday, March 3 Total: LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, March 2Total: LOLHS: 1

FEBRUARY 2022
Friday, Feb. 18: Total: LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, Feb. 17: Total: 1,  MC: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 16: Total: 6, LOLMS: 3
Monday, Feb. 14: Total: 6, LOLMS: 2, MC: 3, Lyme: 1
Sunday, Feb. 13: Total: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 1
Friday, Feb. 11: Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, CS: 1
Thursday, Feb. 10: Total: 2, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 9: Total: 2, LOLHS: 1, MC: 1
Tuesday, Feb. 8: Total: 0
Monday, Feb. 7: Total: 3, Lyme: 1, MC: 1, CS: 1
Sunday, Feb. 6:Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Friday, Feb. 4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, MC: 2
Thursday, Feb. 3: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Wednesday, Feb. 2: Total: 3, MC: 3
Tuesday, Feb. 1: Total: 1, MC: 1

JANUARY 2022
Monday, 1/31: Total: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1
Sunday, 1/30: Total: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/28: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1
Thursday, 1/27: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, Lyme: 2
Wednesday, 1/26: Total: 3, LOLHS: 1, MC: 2
Tuesday, 1/25: Total: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/24:Total: 9, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 1, MC: 4, CS: 1
Sunday, 1/23:Total: 3, LOLMS: 1, Lyme: 2
Friday, 1/21:Total: 8, LOLHS: 4, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Thursday, 1/20: Total: 5, LOLMS: 1, MC: 1, Lyme: 3
Wednesday, 1/19: Total: 7, LOLHS: 2, LOLMS: 4, CS: 1
Tuesday, 1/18: Total: 7, LOLHS: 3, LOLMS: 2, MC: 2
Monday, 1/17: Total: 6, Lyme: 4, MC: 2
Friday, 1/14: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLHS: 1
Wednesday, 1/12: Total: 3, MC: 2, LOLMS: 1
Monday, 1/10: Total: 3, CS: 1, Lyme: 2
Sunday, 1/9: Total: 2, MC: 1, Lyme: 1
Friday, 1/7: Total: 1, MC: 1:
Thursday, 1/6: Total: 7, LOLHS: 5, Lyme: 1, CS: 1
Wednesday, 1/5: Total: 14, LOLHS: 6, MC: 1, Lyme: 3, CS: 4
Tuesday, 1/4: Total: 5, LOLHS: 4, CS: 1

Death Announced of Linda C. Mildrum of Old Lyme,; Wife of James, Mother of Heather, Both of OL

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OLD LYME — Linda C. Mildrum, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother passed away April 3, 2022. Born in McKeesport, Pa., July 4, 1941, to Albert and Rose Schreiber, she was the second of three children.

She is survived by her husband James; daughter Heather and her husband David Musto of Old Lyme; daughter Michele and her husband Michael Deane of Colchester; two granddaughters, Allison and Sarah Deane; and feline companion, Graycie …

She was the manager of Millpond Stables in Old Lyme where she taught riding and horsemanship in the late 1960s …

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Linda’s memory to the Connecticut Humane Society, 169 Old Colchester Road, Quaker Hill, CT 06375. There will be no formal service and a private memorial for immediate family will be held at a later date.

Visit this link to read the full obituary published April 8, on TheDay.com